Yumen Pass (Chinese: 玉門關), also Jade Gate or Pass of the Jade Gate, is located around 90 kilometers west of Dunhuang (敦煌), Gansu (甘肅) Province, China. During the Han (漢) dynasty (202 BC - AD 220), this was a pass through which the Silk Road passed.
The ruin of Yumen Pass was erected by Emperor Wu of Han (漢武帝；156 BC - 87 BC) until the 6th century, the final outpost of Chinese territory for caravans on their long caravan journeys to India, Parthia, and the Roman Empire.
Yumen Pass was originally called the 'Square City' (小方盤城), since the great jade caravans from the west entered through its portals, it became known as the Jade Gate Pass.
Camelthorns (Alhagi) are everywhere around Yumen Pass, they are drought-avoidance plants that utilize groundwater, adapting in that way perfectly to the hyper-arid environment.
Not far from Yumen Pass has a small lookout, from here you can enjoy the panoramic view of the desert.
Along with other sites along the Silk Road, Yumen Pass was inscribed in 2014 on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the Silk Roads.
